Rock, Paper, Paperwhite

December 11, 2013 — Kindle, library, paper, paperwhite, reading

I am a recovering reading addict. I will probably be an over-reader for the rest of my days, so the question is where why and how to read. I received my Kindle Paperwhite yesterday and am very pleased with it.  It has a very adjustable screen that allows you to fine tune the font and the backlight to suit all situations.  It is light and I find it is much easier to hold than an iPad, where my first Kindle books resided.  There has been much thought and design work put into this creation.  It is for reading, without distraction.  It is a noticeable upgrade from paper.

People used to hold newspapers up to read, and some still do.  This is a kind of space divider that lets others know (or think) that we are busy reading, learning and becoming more informed.  I used to read the Wall Street Journal almost every day with the small print and big ads.  If you hold that paper up to read at the Starbucks you are making a statement about your interests.  I used to read Architectural Digest and Yoga Journal all the time.  I still have  subscription to The Week  magazine which I am much more likely to read in the digital version, while the paper one sits around unopened.  I just cleared out years of them from my magazine rack, most with almost no pages read.  I bought a 5 year subscription, and I do love the reporting/curation because it features articles from journalists around the world rather than an American only perspective. While Newsweek is returning to print for subscribers only, my involvement with paper publications is dwindling. If I have a burning news question I ask twitter what is happening. My conversion to digital makes my life easier and better because:

• The Paperwhite and it’s cover fit nicely into my purse
• The entire Amazon Prime lending library is available to me on it
• The advanced comfort and ease of the adjustable settings is stellar
• I can store books in it for reading with no Wi-Fi
• I have nothing to return to the library or eliminate if I don’t like the book
• The screen stays on for recipe use, which is a problem with iPad
• It has a super long better life so I can read for days without recharging

In the kitchen or on the go, the Paperwhite is the tiny portable but unlimited library I always wanted.  I am sure I will return some day to the Pima County Library, but for now I am perfectly happy to have my library in the cloud.